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“Dr. Godwin, always a pleasure to see you,” Pastor Vanessa Sinclair said, offering me a handshake. We’d crossed paths plenty of times before. Sometimes the Sinclairs came to the hospital to sit with patients and pray for them. Sometimes they popped up at a benefit party because they had a monopoly on the church circuit in Bellmore. They owned every church in the city except for the Temple.
Our family took over Bellmore First Baptist Church a few generations back. As far as regular citizens of the city knew, the Temple was used for charity purposes, which was partially true. Once during the month, we held a food pantry for residents on the north and south sides of Bellmore. If you weren’t into the dark side of the city, then you had no idea why the Temple was still standing or why it wasn’t being utilized as another church for the south side.
We wanted to keep it that way.
About twenty years ago, my father had it renovated to accommodate the real reason the Temple was still standing. Now, it resembled a mega church but the inside was tricked out to be a small but efficient hospital.
“Good to see you again, Pastor,” I said, nodding at Vanessa and Walter. I locked eyes with Sanai and she narrowed her eyes quickly, trying to speak to me through telepathy. I abandoned her stare and turned to Junior.
“I just wanted to make sure everything was good with us and your men,” I said, forcing an easy chuckle. “They were upset when I wouldn’t release you. I need to make sure y'all know the rules so everyone stays safe.”
“Oh wow, you keeping us in line, Dr. Breeze?” He laughed but it wasn’t warm or friendly.
“I’m making sure everyone understands the rules.” I looked at Sanai again and she was looking at her phone but her eyebrow was raised as if she were keeping tabs on the conversation. Something about the way she looked told me not to ask outright about his plan to take over the Temple.
“We do. I’ve never had an attempt on my life like that, so you understand they were concerned. We didn’t know who to trust.”
Vanessa Sinclair stiffened in her seat but Sanai remained calm and relaxed, her toned legs crossed. I traveled the smooth lines of her calves up to the hem of her olive-green dress. The color made her golden skin glow.
She looked like the picture of innocence sitting on the couch between her mother and father. Her dark hair fell in large, loose curls around her shoulders, and her makeup was minimal with just gloss on her lips and her eyes lined in black. She was stunning. I didn’t know if it was because she portrayed innocence so well when she was a fucking killer or if it was because I was still reeling from the way she hit me last week.
Either way, seeing her made my heart thump harder.
“I understand but when your men don’t follow the directions put in place, it makes it harder for everyone else. We’re trying to run a smooth operation. An operation that’s beneficial to everyone connected.”
“I hear you, and luckily, I want to keep your establishment running smoothly. I have no beef with you or your brothers, man. I’ll talk to my men. You saved my life,” he told me, pressing a hand to his chest. He still wore bandages over his wound because there were still stitches in place that I’d have to take out in the coming weeks.
“I was just doing what I vowed to do. Save lives.” I stole a glance at Sanai, who was still looking down at her phone but I knew she felt my eyes on her.
“Message heard loud and clear, Doc.” He gave me another flashy grin and then said, “Anything else? You need to check my wound while you’re here?” He gestured to the bandage on his neck and I shook my head.
“You’re good, Baptiste. I’ll see you in my office in a week.” I was on my way out when Walter Sinclair spoke up.
“Mr. Godwin,” he began, standing to his feet. He stopped short of seeing eye to eye with me, only coming up to the bridge of my nose.
“Doctor,” I corrected in a clipped tone. I was getting tired of motherfuckers not putting respect on my name.
“Of course, Doctor Godwin.” His tone was way too sarcastic for me but I let it slide. My nostrils flared as I listened to whatever the fuck he had to say. “I just want to tell you what a godsend you are to this community. Saving lives and doing the Lord’s work. Bless you. I hope God keeps you safe at all times.” He offered me a tight smile before shaking my hand and nodding.
“Thanks, Pastor. I appreciate it. I’m always safe and protected. Trust me.” I nodded my head in his direction then left, heading to my car. I needed to sit and gather my thoughts for a minute. I didn’t like the way Walter said he hoped God always kept me safe. I knew a thinly veiled threat when I heard one, especially coming from Pastor Sinclair. I just couldn’t trust a motherfucker who put up a front as an affluent pastor when him and his entire family were killers.
I was amazed that Junior seemed to have no idea that the dirty pastors he was using to clean his money were the same ones who had a hit on him. That was probably because the Sinclairs didn’t usually do their kill missions in Bellmore. Bellmore was supposed to be their cover city. They made a life here and did their dirt elsewhere. To the residents, their entire family was royalty. They had deep roots in the church and could do no wrong. Everyone involved in the dark side of the city knew they were dirty pastors at best.
They’d always been willing to work with the gang members and kingpins to help wash money in the form of church donations. They even stored guns and drugs when they needed to be hidden from law enforcement. Only certain people knew who the Sinclairs really were. Me and my brothers were among those people because we had to treat their family whenever they got hurt. Once they were registered members of the Temple, we had to know what the fuck they did and what they were into so we knew what kind of injuries and or sicknesses we’d see coming from them. Imagine my shock when I found out that Bellmore’s crooked family of pastors was a family of hit men and women.
My head jerked up when I heard a soft knock on my passenger side window. Sanai wrapped her coat around her slender frame and lifted her eyebrows, gesturing to the locked door. I rolled the window down, barely cracking it.
“Can I help you, Sinclair?” I couldn’t help smirking at her. She was already in full-blown attitude mode, so I knew it would be easy to piss her off.
“Open the goddamn door, Bakari.” She tugged on the door handle but it didn’t budge. I was sure she knew it was locked but she was so damn pissed and stubborn that she tried it anyway.
“Why?”
“Because I said so. I need to talk to you.”
“Nah. I’m good.”
“I swear to god, I will shoot you through this door,” she said, gritting her teeth.
